Condensate disposal



Nov. 8, 1960 J. R. MEHALICK 2,959,030

CONDENSATE DISPOSAL Filed Sept. 22, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiGi IN VEN TOR.

JOHN RICHARD MEHALICK BY WM {M ATTORN Nov. 8, 1960 J. R. MEHALICK I 2,959,030

CONDENSATE DISPOSAL Filed Sept. 22, 1958 2 Sheets-$110M 2 INVEN TOR 4.. W/W M ATTORNEY CONDENSATE DISPOSAL Filed Sept. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 762,401

1 Claim. (Cl. 62-280) This invention relates to air conditioning, more particularly to air conditioning units employing a drawthrough type of fan-coil assembly, as a heat exchange element, and means for implementing the distribution of moisture such as condensate over the condenser coil by means of a slinger ring arranged in conjunction with the fan.

In the design of air conditioning units, adapted for positioning in a window or the like wall opening of a conditioned area, among the desiderata involved is the production of a relatively small unit for any given cooling capacity, and the arrangement of the components of the unit within a casing which will permit desired air flow from the conditioned area and the ambient into heat exchange relationship with the heat exchange components such as the evaporator and condenser respectively. Where the unit is employed for cooling purposes, the heat dissipating condenser is arranged on the outside end of the unit which is generally exposed to the ambient. In order to provide for the necessary air flow for cooling of the condenser, a condenser fan is arranged in combination with the condenser coil to set up an air stream through the coil from the ambient. In the conventional air conditioning unit, this fan is arranged in front of the coil and is normally provided with a slinger ring dipping into a condensate sump where condensate forming on the evaporator coil of the unit is collected. The slinger ring throws the condensate upwardly where it is drawn by the air stream, set up by the fan, over the condenser coil. This serves the twofold function of eliminating the condensate and providing additional cooling for the condenser. It is found, however, that with this conventional arrangement condensate distribution over the condenser surface, and air flow through the condenser is uneven, with resultant inefficiency. To obtain maximum air flow for a given fan size, and maximum uniformity of air flow over the coil surface a draw-through type of condenser fan-coil assembly gives best results. However, with a draw-through type of condenser fan-coil, even the use of a slinger ring on the fan with its limited etfectiveness is generally impractical, since the air stream set up by the fan pushes the condensate thrown by the slinger ring away from the condenser coil, thus eliminating any condensate cooling of the condenser.

It is with these problems in mind that the present means have been evolved, means providing a novel condenser fan scroll which permits utilization of a slinger ring in combination with a draw-through type condenser fan-coil in an air conditioning unit or the like to effectively dissipate condensate from the base pan of the air conditioning unit and distribute this condensate over the condenser coil in a uniform fashion.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide an improved compact air conditioning unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air conditioning unit permitting effective utilization of a tam Patent i r 2,959,030 Patented Nov. 8, 1960 ice maximum condenser surface area with a unit volume.

An additional object of this invention is to provide an efficient condenser fan-coil assembly for use in an air conditioning unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a draw- .through type of fan-coil assembly which will permit moisture distribution over the coil.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved fan scroll for use in a fan-coil assembly to facilitate air flow and uniform moisture distribution.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved condenser fan-coil assembly in which the condenser may be eficctively cooled.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved fan scroll structure of simple and economical manufacture.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an effective method of cooling a condenser coil.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method of condensate dissipation in an air conditioning system.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for directing moisture over the coil of a draw-through type of fan-coil assembly.

These and other objects of the invention which will become hereinafter more apparent are attained by provision of a scroll structure for use in combination with a propeller type draw-through fan-coil assembly. The novel scroll includes a deck portion formed to provide a condensate receiving surface and a condensate discharge surface. The condensate receiving surface is inclined toward the condensate discharge surface whereby any condensate collecting on the receiving surface is drained to the discharge surface and the discharge surface extends completely over the condenser coil whereby the condensate will be uniformly distributed over said coil.

A primary feature of the invention resides in the provision of a fan scroll deck having a condensate discharge surface arranged completely over the condenser coil so that even though the air stream set up by the fan moves in a direction counter to that of desired condensate flow, the condensate will still be dissipated on the condenser surface to cool same, and the condensate is uniformly distributed over the condenser.

The specific constructional details of a preferred embodiment of the invention, and their mode of functionof an air conditioning unit to which the invention may be applied;

Figure 2 is a perspective view with parts broken away, of a portion of the air conditioning unit, shown in Figure 1 illustrating the novel fan scroll structure of the instant invention;

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the novel fan scroll deck; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 3 illustrating the surface contours of the deck.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, like numerals in the various figures will be taken to designate like parts.

As best seen in Figure 1 the air conditioning unit 10, in which the instant inventive concept is embodied, comprises a base pan 11 upon which a refrigeration system including compressor 12, condenser 13, and evaporator 14, is supported, said compressor, condenser, and

evaporator being arranged in a closed fluid circuit (not shown) through which refrigerant is circulated.

A partition panel 15 separates the evaporator portion of the system from the other components, and an appropriate evaporator fan 15' is provided for directing air from the conditioned areainto heat exchange relationship with the evaporator.

Condenser 13 is part of a fan-coil assembly including propeller type fan 20arranged with respect to condenser 13 "so as .to draw air through .the condenser 13 when the fan is in operation. Fan 20 is provided with a slinger ring 21 suitably supported by brackets 22 from the. peripheral edge of the blades of fan 20. The slinger ring 21 extends down into the condensatesump formed in base pan 11.

A fan scroll assembly 25 including a scroll portion 26 "including a conventional orifice plate 29' and deck portion 27 is arranged in combination with the fan-coil assembly as seen in the drawing by securing assembly 25 to partition panel 15. Deck portion 27 is formed of sheet material and in the instant application is molded of a polystyrene plastic. The deck portion is formed with an air outlet opening 28 through which air may pass from scroll portion 26 to the upper part of the deck. The deck 27 is formed with a condensate receiving portion 29 and a condensate discharge portion 30 and extends over the length of the condenser. Receiving portion 29 is angled downwardly with respect to discharge portion 30 for a purpose to be made hereinafter more apparent. In assembled position fan scroll assembly 25 is arranged so that scroll portion 26 surrounds fan 20, condensate receiving portion 29 is arranged over slinger ring 21, and condensate discharge portion 30 is arranged over condenser 13.

The instant inventive concept has been here described as embodied in a unit air conditioner. It will, however, be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the same condensate distribution features may be employed in conjunction with any draw-through type fan-coil arrangement for distribution of moisture over the heat exchanger coil.

In the air conditioning unit here described, the unit is adapted for cooling operation. Where so employed, the unit is installed in a window or the like wall opening of an area to be conditioned with the evaporator coil 14 of the unit oriented inwardly toward the conditioned area, and the condenser 13 facing outwardly towards the ambient. In this orientation, initiation of operation of the unit starts the compressor 12 which pumps refrigerant through the condenser 13 and evaporator 14. An air stream is set up from the conditioned area into heat exchange relationship with the cooling evaporator coil 14 to cool the air. Simultaneously, condenser fan 20 draws air through condenser 13 into scroll portion 26 which deflects the air stream upwardly through opening 28 in scroll deck 27 and thence reverses the air stream outwardly to the ambient through passage 37 between deck 27 and the upper wall 35 of the unit casing through opening 36.

Condensate collecting on evaporator coils 14 due to the cooling action thereof, drains into base pan 11 to the sump beneath slinger ring 21. As viewed in Figure l, slinger ring 21 dips into the sump and centrifugally directs the condensate towards the under part of condensate receiving portion 29 of deck 27. The condensate on portion 29 .drains downwardly towards condensate discharge portion 30 which extends completely over the top of condenser 13. Condensate thus drips uniformly over the surface of condenser 13 to cool same.

It is thus seen that novel air and condensate directing means have beenprovided-for use with a draw-through type fan-coil assembly permitting the uniform distribution of moisture such as condensate over the surface of the coil to cool same. Additionally, since the ambient air stream is reversed after flow over the condenser surface, no side flow paths for the air need be provided so that the unit may be installed, either substantially in or out of the conditioned area.

The above disclosure is given by way of illustration and elucidation and it is desired to protect all embodiments of the herein disclosed inventive concept within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In an air conditioning apparatus including a casing, a draw-through type of fan-coil assembly comprising a condenser, a fan adjacent said condenser drawing an air stream through the condenser, a scroll positioned about said fan to direct air upwardly therefrom, a deck connected to said scroll extending completely over the top of the condenser, a passage between the deck and the casing communicating with an opening in the casing above the condenser, said deck having an opening through which air may be passed upwardly from said fan into the passage and out of the opening in the casing, a sump beneath the fan, and a slinger on said fan dipping into said sump and directing any moisture in said sump upwardly, said deck having a downwardly angled portion extending the length thereof, the underside of which forms a receiving surface over said fan receiving the moisture from said slinger, and a substantially horizontal portion coextensive with the downwardly angled portion, the underside of which forms a discharge surface substantially over the top of the condenser, whereby the moisture collecting on the receiving surface will drain towards the discharge surface for uniform distribution over the condenser.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,485,733 Hart Oct. 25, 1949 2,793,510 Kumrotf May 28, 1957 2,811,023 Lathrop Oct. 29, 1957 

